More than 3 billion people on this planet have little or no access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Think about it. That’s more than 40% of the world’s population. Those 3 billion people represent 7,000 distinct unreached people groups.
- People Group refers to a group of people that share a common culture, worldview, and language.
- Unreached People Group (UPG) means that fewer than 2% of its population are believers. Such a small number of believers means that they are unable to reach all the others in their people group without help.
So, there are 7,000 UPGs — or around 3 billion individual people — who have no way to hear about Jesus. Yet in Matthew 24:14, Jesus states that the “Gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all ethne (people groups), and then the end will come.” If Jesus promises that every ethne (people group) on earth will have the Gospel preached among it before he comes again, and there are still 7,000 ethne among whom the Gospel has not been preached, then what’s the plan?
WE are the plan. In Genesis 12 God chooses Abraham’s ethne to bless all the other ethne that existed at that time.
- The Old Testament is FULL of stories of God bringing fame and glory to his name through Israel (Abraham’s ethne).
- Then, on five different occasions between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, He gives direction to the Church to go into all the world and make disciples of every ethne.
- And the whole book of Acts is about how the Holy Spirit moved through the Church to grow groups of disciples (local churches) throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.
- Finally, in the book of Revelation, we see a beautiful scene where this mission is completed and there is at least one disciple from every ethne giving glory to God.
From Genesis through Revelation, we see that God has promised to reach all the people groups of the earth and he has commissioned us as his ambassadors in that plan.
At CCC, we take that commissioning seriously. In 1999 we “adopted” a UPG. What that means is that we made a covenant with God that we would pray, give, go, and send until a reproducing group of disciples existed in this people group. We committed to being in it for the long-haul so that we can one day stand side by side with believers from this UPG, worshipping together.
Together we can make Jesus famous to UPGs both here and around the world. Here’s how you can get involved or learn more:
UPG Prayer Wall // May 25- 29
During our Micah 6:8 weekend, make sure to visit the UPG Prayer Wall that will be installed in the atrium during services. Or come during the week on May 28 & 29 anytime 4-8:30 p.m.
UPG Prayer & Worship Night // May 28
Join us for a prayer and worship night focused on UPGs on Tuesday, May 28, 6:30-7:30 p.m. No registration required – just show up.
UPG Sunday Morning Class // Jun. 2-30
Attend Understanding the Unreached, our study set to meet every Sunday in June from 10-11 a.m. to learn more about God’s word, his world, and his work in UPGs.
Women’s Summer Bible Study // Jun. 19 – Aug. 7
Ladies, sign up for the summer Wednesday Night women’s bible study Jun. 19 – Aug. 7, 6:30-8 p.m. where you’ll learn from the book Until The Whole World Knows about how to live a life focused on the Great Commission wherever God has you planted. Registration coming soon.